


Wonderful Life

by Rroselavy



Series: Seven Times Seven [3]
Category: Yugioh
Genre: AU, M/M, Round Robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-06
Updated: 2010-06-06
Packaged: 2017-10-09 23:12:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/92644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rroselavy/pseuds/Rroselavy





	Wonderful Life

**Wonderful Life**

\--*---*--

Sometimes our secrets are all we've got  
With our lives we must defend  
Sometimes the air between us, babe  
Is unbearably thin  
Sometimes it's wise to lay down your gloves  
And just give in  
Come in  
To this wonderful life  
If you can find it

Excerpt from 'Wonderful Life,' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, from the recording _Nocturama_

\--*---*--

Seto looked around and attempted to determine where, or when, they were now.

"You stuck up sonofabitch!" Jounouchi railed, continuing his diatribe that had begun in the previous world they'd been stuck in. The tall brunet did his best to ignore the smaller blond, waving him away much like he would the yapping dog he currently resembled. He was done arguing with the impossible, pig-headed teen, and he couldn't for the life of him remember what he'd ever seen in the other that had allowed them to become so ... intimate.

"Baka inu, will you just shut the fuck up and look around you?" he snarled, looking to the horizon that appeared over the treetops. It was the all-too-familiar skyline of Domino City, a vista dominated by the sleek Kaiba Corp tower.

Jounouchi followed his gaze, then turned towards Kaiba, his eyes widening in disbelief. "We're home?"

"It certainly appears that way," Kaiba replied flatly, refusing to meet the blond's gaze.

"Ya think it could be some kind of trick?"

Instead of responding, Kaiba rummaged through a nearby trashcan and pulled out a discarded newspaper. It was the Domino City Times, and a quick glance at the headlines and bylines revealed familiar situations and reporters' names. Only the date was off; it was about six months from when they'd first started their odyssey. He shoved the main section under the blond's nose. "See for yourself."

Jounouchi's face broke out in a wide grin as the realization hit him that it was indeed the Domino City that they'd left, but then his expression darkened. "Yeah well, have a nice life, asshole," he growled, stalking away.

"If I never see you again, it will be to soon," the brunet replied to the other's receding back.

"Don't call me, I'll call you," Jounouchi shot back, flipping the brunet off.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before you ever get another piece of this, Jounouchi," he answered calmly, keeping his anger in check.

The blond whirled, his face a mask of rage. "As if you were ever that good," he grit out.

"Better than you'll ever get again. Look," Kaiba smirked, "maybe if you didn't act like a woman half the time-"

"Just shutthefuckup, willya? I'm done!" Jounouchi charged toward the brunet. Kaiba saw the blond's fist clench and anticipated the blow, deftly blocking it. Traveling together for as long as they had-it had seemed like ~years~ but fuck if he could tell how long-had its advantages. He knew Jounouchi's fighting style cold. Thwarted, Jounouchi spun on his heels, and took off.

To think that he actually considered that he was in love with Jounouchi. He should have his head examined. He made a mental note to check in with his personal physician-after he found and caught up with his brother, and after he exacted some payback from Yugi Motou and his phantom lover.

They'd landed in Domino's Central Park, and judging from the daffodils and tulips in bloom in the borders along the pathways, it was mid-spring. Kaiba took off his heavy trench coat and as he strolled through the park he enjoyed the warmth that radiated over his skin from the rays of the earth's sun-~his~ sun-not some alien star illuminating a strange world. Already the interval that he'd spent traveling through space and time with the irritating blond was receding to become just a bad memory. He gazed longingly at the Kaiba Corp tower before deciding against checking in at the office before he reconnected with Mokuba, and instead of heading towards that beacon, Kaiba followed a path that would take him toward the wealthy side of town and eventually to the Kaiba Estate.

Before he left the park he found a bench and sat down to read the business section of the paper that he'd procured. Kaiba Corp was doing quite well, still on the trajectory that he'd outlined to the Board of Directors at the last shareholders' meeting. His heart swelled with pride that Mokuba could step into his shoes so seamlessly, because, even though he'd left detailed instructions of what to do in the case that he ever became incapacitated, he'd always mistrusted that Plan 7-Beta would actually work, but his CFO, Hayabusa Isamu, appeared to have followed it to the letter. The business news was mundane, and Kaiba was equally as happy that his brother was keeping a low profile; the less the public was aware of the personal tribulations of the Kaiba siblings, the better.

It took Kaiba a couple of hours to reach the estate, and when he did, he was momentarily perplexed when his key-code did not open the heavy gates that barred unwanted intruders. But contemplating the situation, he came to the conclusion that it was not outside the realm of possibilities that Mokuba would disable his code. He rang the service bell, but after several minutes it appeared that no one was home. For a moment a cold chill ran through his body, he was reminded of his youth, when his adoptive father ran through hired help like used tissues, but then he reasoned that perhaps Mokuba had closed up the house and taken up residence in the penthouse suite at Kaiba Corp. He felt calmer because that better explained the malfunction of his key-code.

It was with great satisfaction that he switched on his long-dormant cell and found that it actually had a signal, and for the first time, he realized the benefit of prepaying his service for a year of unlimited minutes. He noticed that his voicemail box was devoid of entries; Mokuba must have arranged for all his calls to be forwarded in his absence.

He dialed Mokuba's cell number from memory, only to have the phone on the other end ring incessantly. Again, that could easily be explained away, Mokuba was forever misplacing his cells. It was why Seto didn't have the number programmed to begin with-after the third time he'd activated a new number for his brother, he hadn't bothered wasting his time on an obviously futile exercise. Kaiba decided that rather than run all over the city tracking his brother down-for all he knew Mokuba could be at a meeting, or away on business-he would find out from Isono where his brother was. He hit his speed-dial, and after the second ring, was greeted with the familiar voice of his personal assistant.

"Isono, this is Kaiba Seto, I need to find Mokuba."

"Excuse me, sir?"

He had no patience to go into details-there would be time enough for explaining his sudden reappearance-but a part of him could understand the other man's shock from hearing his voice after six months, as he was certain that their trusted employee would have been informed as to the nature of his disappearance. He repeated his statement.

"Sir, is this some kind of a joke?" the disembodied voice asked skeptically after a short silence.

"Do I sound like I'm joking?" Kaiba's voice took on a dangerous edge.

"N-no ... sir," the older man replied dubiously. "But I don't know who this Mokuba person is."

Kaiba felt the color drain from his face as a bone-chilling cold settled over him, despite the warm sun beating down upon him. He snapped his phone closed, and when it immediately rang back, he let it go to voicemail. He stared in alarm at the caller ID that flashed on his LED screen; it was Isono's all-too-familiar number.

\--*---*--

Jounouchi stormed through the park, wanting to get as much distance between him and Kaiba as quickly as he could. He was so furious with the other male that he could spit, and yet, he couldn't exactly remember what the brunet had done to piss him off, but the fact that he'd remained irate through the transition was reason enough to believe it had been something heinous. "'Act like a woman,' my ass," he fumed, ruminating on the arrogance of the other's words. "Fuck him!" he railed. He walked about aimlessly until he'd calmed down, still nowhere closer to the reason why he'd been so pissed at the other. But now, thinking with a cooler head, he decided that before heading home to be involved in what most certainly would be a messy reunion, it would be best to see Yugi first. Although Jounouchi was as mad at Yami as he'd ever been, he was able to separate the spirit from his host; something he wasn't too confident that Kaiba would be able to, or care to do, and the blond thought it would be best to warn Yugi that the CEO would be gunning for him.

He wondered what his father had been told about his disappearance, and if Shizuka was even aware that he'd been gone. But as he strolled down the familiar streets of Domino, a sense of euphoria washed over him. It didn't matter whether or not he'd been missed, he was home, and that was what counted. No more crazy worlds with insane inhabitants who were either trying to kill one, the other, or both of them, or alternately, trying to rope them into their world's subterfuge. God, he'd had enough of political intrigue to last him several lifetimes. And he was relieved that there would be no more walking on eggshells around the ornery Kaiba Seto, he huffed, though he knew that, at times, the trials of their journey had caused him to be equally as irritable and unapproachable.

The sun was warm on his face and he was feeling like someone who'd just been released from prison; everything in the environment was just a little brighter, a little more saturated, and the air was perfumed with the fragrance of flowers, overwhelming to his senses. In a way, he knew that he had been incarcerated by the curse that Yami had placed on Seto, and thinking about that, he hoped that Yugi would have some explanation as to why no one had rescued them. Or perhaps they had, he reasoned. Since he and Kaiba had only been gone for six months, maybe Yami had relented, or someone had figured a way to break the curse. Still, it stung more than a little that it had taken them so long to be returned home. But he wanted this reunion to be a happy one, so he pushed those thoughts out of his head as he neared the Kame Game Shop. He grabbed the handle to the door, ready to swing it wide, and was mildly surprised that it was locked.

"Huh?" Jounouchi glanced through the glass panel, and saw his diminutive friend behind the counter, paging through a magazine. He was set to rap on the glass when he saw a small sign indicating that he should ring the bell for service. Jounouchi shrugged his shoulders, wondering if something had happened during his absence that warranted such security. The neighborhood around the Game Shop had always been on the seedy side, but it had never been unsafe.

He rang the bell, heard the companion buzzer alert, and swung the door wide. He'd rehearsed a million times the reunions he'd have with his friends, but now that the time was upon him, he suddenly felt shy.

"Hey, Yuge," he offered, waving his hand and hunching his shoulders. The smaller male regarded the blond, utter shock on his face.

"Ya look like ya just seen a ghost," he quipped, his grin broadening.

"Who are you, and how do you know my name? Did Honda send you? Because I paid this month-"

"Yugi, didja get clocked in the head or somethin'? It's me, Jounouchi!" he walked towards the smaller teen.

"Stay right where you are!"

Jounouchi froze when the smaller male pulled a handgun from where it had been concealed under the counter, and pointed it shakily at the blond.

"Shit! Yugi, put that thing away! I ain't gonna hurt ya!" Jounouchi heard the safety click. "Fuck! OK!" he backed away to the door. "C'n ya put that thing down? I promise I won't come near you!" Jounouchi's mind was racing, he was home, but he realized with alarm, that unless something terrible had happened to Yugi, this wasn't the home he'd left. Once again, he was fucked. His heart sank, but his mind was already processing the little information he'd gleaned from the other teen. Yugi knew Honda, so that was a start.

Yugi replaced the safety and pointed the gun away from Jounouchi, but there was a wary expression on his face, and the silences stretched out between them as the slight teen waited for the blond to speak.

"Do you know where Honda is?" Jounouchi asked, hoping to find some neutral ground. He still wasn't sure if it was a good thing or bad thing that Yugi didn't recognize him.

"Like I would?" Yugi replied bitterly. "The less I know of him, or about him, the better it is for me. If you're looking for Honda Hiroto you came to the wrong place."

"I wasn't! It's just that ... I think I might know him."

"Think? Either you do or you don't. He's only the most powerful lieutenant in the Rintama Gang," the smaller teen snorted, lifting the gun. "So if you're thinking I was an easy mark to get you on his good side, you're wrong."

Jounouchi squeezed his eyes shut and ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head. "I didn't come here to hurt you, or intimidate you. I mean it," he said quietly. Suddenly he felt utterly exhausted. He looked at the mistrustful teen. "Look, d'ya mind if I sit down for a minute?"

Yugi nodded, and Jounouchi noticed for the first time that he wasn't wearing the Millennium Puzzle.

"Where's the Puzzle?" Jounouchi asked.

Yugi blanched. "What do you know about that?" he hissed. "It's not here, if that's what you're after."

"Nonononono!" Jounouchi said quickly. He had to think fast, had to get the other teen to trust him. "Okay, look. Where's Gram-where's ya grandfather?"

At the question, the other's face crumpled. "You bastard," Yugi said, tears rolling down his face. "Get out. Now!" he screamed, his voice nearly hysterical.

"WAIT! Yugi, if ya thought I was gonna hurt ya, you never would have let me in. Ya must have seen somethin' in me, please, Yugi, I need ya help!"

"You need ~my~ help? That's a laugh," the other teen said, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"No, it's true, pal. I need ya help," Jounouchi continued, his eyes wide. "Please?" he asked, "Just lemme explain my situation to ya, an' if ya think I'm full of shit, I'll go, and you'll never see me again." At least that was one promise he knew he'd be able to keep.

Yugi stared hard at the blond, and after a few moments, the smaller teen nodded his head. "All right, spill."

Jounouchi started from the beginning, trying his best to be as detailed and coherent as possible, his heart sinking as he listened to himself. He knew that if someone had shown up out of the blue with a tale as fantastic as the one that he was reciting, he'd have been on the phone, lickity-split, calling the men in white coats. When he'd finished, he expected that Yugi would either tell him to get lost, or pick the gun up and shoot him

"You were my best friend?" the other teen asked softly, his eyes glistening.

Jounouchi nodded, himself becoming overwhelmed by his emotions. "An' I really miss you too, Yugi," he added, feeling tears prick at his eyes. He wiped at them, Kaiba's biting words ringing in his ears.

"You must, if I'm the first person you came to see."

"Yeah, well I was hoping to find Yami, too."

"I'm sorry Jounouchi-kun, I never solved the puzzle. I donated it to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo after Grandpa ... died." The blond sighed. He'd known that it was a long shot to find Yami and have him know how to reverse the curse, but now even that window had closed. Yami didn't even exist in this world, would probably never be unlocked from his prison. 'Boo-fucking-hoo-hoo fah him,' Jounouchi thought wryly, finding it impossible not to gloat just a little.

"That's okay, Yuge," he said sadly. "Someday I'm sure I'll get back home, I just hope that when I do, my friends and family will still be there."

The smaller teen placed his hand on Jounouchi's shoulder. "But this ... Kaiba Seto, he isn't your friend?"

"I dunno," Jounouchi shrugged. "I suppose I'm gonna have ta patch things up with him when I see him again." At the moment, though, he wasn't looking too forward to that.

"I wish I had a friend like you. The other me, he must be a really lucky guy."

Jounouchi smiled. "I am your friend, Yugi, and even though I can't stay here, that will never change."

"You mean that? Even though I can't help you?"

Jounouchi nodded. "But you can help me, Yuge. Gimme that gun."

\--*---*--

Things only got stranger when Kaiba finally decided to collect the voicemail that Isono had left. At first, his PIN number would not work to collect the message, and as he grew more and more frustrated, trying all the different PIN numbers that he could remember ever using, he finally got in, only to have his blood run ice cold when he realized the code was that of his late adoptive father. Then, Isono's voice addressed Kaiba Gozaburo, explained the odd phone call, including that the person identified himself as Kaiba Seto (God, Kaiba thought, the man was as sharp as ever). He turned off his phone at that point, knowing that his paranoid adoptive father would not brush the phone call off as a foolish prank; his cell phone was useless now.

He wandered around, wondering if the blond had discovered that they hadn't come home. He felt bad for the way that they had parted, but not sorry enough to want to seek out Jounouchi. After all, he was the aggrieved party in this. Jounouchi had completely misunderstood his overtures to the beautiful princess in the prior world; and had completely lost it when he'd caught them lip-locked. It did not matter that Seto had been using the kiss to distract her while he rifled through her petticoats, searching for a stolen necklace, that if not found, would have certainly meant the untimely demise of the blond. He hadn't had the time to discuss the situation with the other teen, he'd only had time to act, but what he found most offensive was that after all the time they'd spent together, relying on each other, Jounouchi would still find it easier to accept that Kaiba would cheat on him than to listen to what the brunet had to say for himself.

"No good deed goes unpunished," he growled to himself, and now he would be spending the next week alone living among the ghosts of his past, and all he had to look forward to was meeting up with the irate blond in the next godforsaken world that they would be transported to.

"I should just kill myself now," he muttered, "and as soon as I hear his whining in the next world," he added petulantly, remembering how Jounouchi had done just that to avoid him for what seemed to be months on end. "It would serve him right." But what would that accomplish, he wondered sourly.

And then it occurred to him, if Gozaburo were still alive, and Isono knew neither the names Seto or Mokuba, it meant that the bastard hadn't adopted them, and that somewhere in this world, he and his brother still existed; maybe someone at the orphanage that they'd been dumped at would know.

He thought then, about looking up Motou and taking all his pent-up frustration and rage out on the diminutive teen's hide, regardless that this Motou wasn't the one responsible, but then he figured that Jounouchi had probably bee-lined it to the Kame Game Shop, and he was loath to meet up with the annoying blond. For a second, though, the brunet considered that maybe Yami would help the other teen and help him to find his way back home, leaving him alone in the curse, but he quickly dismissed that notion. If they could have gotten Jounouchi back without him, the blond would have disappeared from their odyssey long ago.

In order to survive for the week, Kaiba knew that he needed money, and he knew where a large sum of cash was readily at hand, and happened to remember the combination to Gozaburo's office safe. He just needed to get into the building. After giving it some thought, he came up with the perfect plan, and he knew just where to go to set the wheels in motion.

Three hours later Seto emerged from the Sakura branch library with a 4:30PM appointment for a job interview at Kaiba Corp in their IT department. The flurry of emails he'd sent in response to the jobs board, explaining that he'd only be in town through the evening, and divulging enough of his innate knowledge of the behemoth corporation's technological weaknesses, had assured him a foot in the door. He knew that he didn't stand a chance once they began to check references-the CV he'd fabricated contained an impressive school and work history that would never bear up to the human resource department's close scrutiny-but by that time he would be long gone, with enough cash to live a lifetime on, let alone the week that he'd be spending in this world.

He walked past the KC1 limousine, the hair at the nape of his neck standing on end when he glimpsed Isono at the wheel, thumbing through a newspaper. He continued on, after briefly faltering, through the revolving glass doors of the sleek obsidian-colored building; his head held proud, but he quickly became slightly disconcerted by both the familiarity of the environs and the faces that dotted the vast atrium-people who in his real life would be groveling at his feet, but who here in this world, stared through him as if he didn't exist. Well, as far as they were concerned, ~Kaiba~ Seto didn't exist. He wondered absently what his incarnation in this world was like, having not 'benefited' from Kaiba Gozaburo's brutal tutelage.

He breezed through the interview. He knew his interviewer well, the man was an ex-frat boy stuffed-shirt that Seto had managed to cast off like the flotsam he was when the teen had assumed the helm of Kaiba Corp. It was a Herculean effort for the tall brunet not to show his disdain, not to run rings about the man with his inside knowledge of the company. But that would have only served to bring attention to himself, and there would be enough of that by the time he'd left the building. Or, rather, he would leave enough evidence for Gozaburo and his security team to know of his passing. He wasn't concerned about being caught; he only needed to lie low for a week, and Domino was a big enough metropolis that he could remain anonymous by disappearing into the teeming masses.

The interviewer left him at the elevator banque, promising a quick callback (Kaiba smirked, he'd given the man Otogi Ryuugi's private cell number), and as soon as the doors to the car closed behind Seto, he pressed first the button to the lobby and then the one for the mailroom floor, certain that by that time of day it would be deserted. He stepped off at that level, and the empty car continued its descent.

He moved over the to the private penthouse car, and keyed in his stepfather's code, half-expecting that it would not work, mildly surprised when it did. When the doors to the elevator slid open Seto was hit with the familiar scent of Gozaburo's overbearing aftershave. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he stumbled into the car and pressed the 'PH' button, as the noxious odor triggered nightmarish memories of his early adolescence. He leaned his arm against the wood paneling, and worked on controlling his breathing and calming his nerves as the car swiftly made its ascent.

The doors opened to a darkened reception area. He'd played it right, he thought with great relief (though he'd had a ready excuse if he ran into anyone). Gozaburo was a creature of habit, Seto had remembered, always leaving the office by five, and his secretaries never stayed more than a minute later than he did. As he stepped out of the car, he knew from this point on, all of his movements would be recorded, so he sprinted down the hall that lead to the corner office that he'd taken up residence in after his step-father's death. He quickly keyed in the code, and, not bothering to flick on the overhead lights, headed straight to the safe, then rapidly punched in the serial, and when the door unlatched, he pulled out six hefty stacks of thousands-6 million in total cash-stuffing them into the deep pockets of his trench coat.

He was gone in a flash, not bothering to cover his tracks, opting rather to take the service stairs ten flights before switching over to another set. He rotated down the building in this manner, taking the stairs two, sometimes three at a time, his body pumping with adrenalin, his heart pounding the blood through his veins, every nerve on edge, alert for the sound of pounding feet. He ended up below ground at the loading docks. Fortunately, they were also deserted, and he broke into a flat-out run, managing to race up the ramp, turn the corner and reach the freedom of the busy streets just as he heard alarms sound and shouts of the Kaiba Corp security staff. 'Losers' he smirked as he disappeared into the rush hour crowds, and then into a cab that he managed to snag that he'd come upon as someone was disembarking.

"Domino International Airport," he ordered, running his fingers through his tousled hair. By the time they'd wended their way through the congested city streets to one of the highways leading out of town, his heartbeat was back to normal, and he was certain that no one had managed to tail him.

\--*---*--

The weight of the gun in his pocket felt comforting to Jounouchi as he walked through his old neighborhood. Now that he was certain that this wasn't his world, he wondered what it would be like running into this world's version of himself. Would the other him believe his fantastic tale? He recognized his father's beat-up Toyota parked on the street near his apartment building, and he passed by many of his neighbors; mildly surprised that no one seemed to recognize him; they just stared through him as they passed him by. Well, it wasn't as if his neighborhood had ever been a very friendly one; people tended to mind their own business in these parts, because sticking one's nose where it didn't belong usually earned swift retribution. He noticed a kid sitting in front of his building, and as he got closer it registered that the redhead that he'd been focused on was his sister.

"Shi-chan?" he hollered, warmth rushing through him, momentarily forgetting that she might be surprised to hear his voice. The young girl turned her head in his direction, staring out with wide eyes.

"Who are you?" she called out, shrinking towards the building's entrance.

"It's me, Katsuya," Jounouchi said, his voice wavering uncertainly. Maybe her older brother was inside, and he was frightening her now with his seemingly magical appearance on the street. He was standing in front of her, and suddenly he realized that she couldn't see. Of course that would be the case, he thought sadly. If Yugi hadn't recognized him, that meant that the Jounouchi in this world couldn't have obtained the winnings from the other duelist to afford the surgery. He snorted to himself. The Yugi in this world wasn't the King of Games that he knew and loved, in fact, Jounouchi was sure that he could mop the floor with this world's Yugi if they'd had a duel.

"I don't know anyone named Katsuya," she replied coldly.

"Ya don't have an older brother?" Jounouchi stammered his question.

She must have heard the uncertainty in his voice, because when she answered, hers had softened. "No, I'm an only child. You must have mistaken me-"

"Fah someone else," Jounouchi finished her statement, his voice sad. If she didn't have an older brother, then that meant that he didn't exist in this Domino City, and this Shizuka would never have a chance to get her sight back.

"I'm sorry that I'm not her," she said, her voice full of regret. She began to fidget with an elastic bead bracelet that she'd been wearing, twirling it absently between her fingers.

"So am I," he agreed. "Do you mind if I sit here by you for a while?" he asked, suddenly weary from the day's events.

"My dad says I shouldn't talk to strangers," Shizuka said guardedly. "Though, I suppose it would be okay as long as I didn't go anywhere with you. But if he sees you, you'd better take off. He's ... overprotective."

Her words cut through his heart, and he worried that she was covering for the old man the same way that he'd always done. "Does he drink?" Jounouchi asked quietly but accusingly, his anger welling up inside.

"No! Well, not anymore. Mama threatened to leave if he didn't stop, so he's been going to Alcoholics Anonymous for three years."

His father was clean and sober? Jounouchi's eyes widened with disbelief. Then he snorted softly. No, not his father-her father. His father was probably drunk as a skunk at this very moment in time, taking up residence at his favorite watering hole.

"You're very lucky, my old man gets stinkin' drunk and takes it out on my hide."

"That's horrible!" she exclaimed dropping the bracelet. Cautiously, she began to pat at the ground by her feet.

Jounouchi stooped and picked up the bauble. "Here ya go."

Her face flushed with embarrassment. "Now you know-"

"I did already," Jounouchi said softly.

"You could tell?" she asked, the horror of being found out, of some stranger ~knowing~ that she was disabled, evident in her voice. She covered her face with her hands.

"Don't do that Shizuka, it ain't anything to be ashamed of! Besides, you're so beautiful!"

"How could you say that? I'm ~deformed~."

"Because ya are! Don't you let anyone tell you different! You're beautiful." He put his arm on her shoulder, and suddenly she was hugging him, her arms wrapped fiercely around his waist. He felt the tears then, and no longer cared to hold them back. In his arms, she felt just like his sister, she even wore the same girly fragrance that his Shi-chan did, and he was overcome by the homesickness that he'd been somewhat successfully holding at bay.

"No one's ever told me I was beautiful before," she said, her voice muffled against his chest, "'cept my Daddy."

His breath shuddered in his chest. "Can ya see at all?"

She looked up at him, her green eyes wide, searching, her brow knit. "Just shapes and shadows now. The doctors say without surgery, I'll be completely blind within months. An' Daddy's insurance won't pay 'cause they say that the surgery is experimental. At least I'll get a dog," she said after a while, smiling falteringly. He squeezed her against his chest, wishing with all his heart that there were some way that he could help her.

The sound of his father's voice calling for Shizuka sent Jounouchi in motion. "I guess that's my cue!" he said with alarm, extracting himself from her embrace.

"Wait! Katsuya! How did you know my name?" she asked. "Will you come back to see me?"

The sound of his name uttered from her lips caused a stabbing pain in his chest. "I'll try 'Zuki, but I can't promise you. But if I do come back, I'll explain everything." Tears blurred his eyes, and Jounouchi could no longer tell which Shizuka he was speaking to.

"Coming, Daddy!" he heard her voice fade away as he hurried from the stoop. Even if this version of his father was sober, he probably still packed a punch, and Katsuya didn't want to hang around to find out.

His path took him into Rintama gang territory and past the church that Sister Sharon had worked in. Thinking of her, and then of how his actions had caused her death brought renewed grief, and he slipped in through the heavy wooden doors of the gothic building, wishing that he had pocket change so that he could light a candle for his transgressions, only he'd need Kaiba's fortune to cover them all, he thought disparagingly. He doubted that he would ever have the nerve to go to confession, but sitting in the solitude of the deserted building while the last rays of the sun streaming through the stained glass windows illuminated the marble floor in a kaleidoscope of color was a balm to his soul.

Jounouchi slipped into the last row of pews, flipped down the padded bar under the bench in front of his and knelt with his hands clasped and his eyes closed, and tried to make heads or tails of everything he'd learned throughout the day. He listed each fact as he remembered it; Honda was a lieutenant in Hirutami's gang, Yami didn't exist, Yugi was just a scrawny, bullied kid, Gramps was dead-not murdered by the Rintama boys directly, though the heart attack that did him in was brought on after a strong-arm meeting with Honda, and Shizuka was nearly blind and claimed she had no siblings. He knit his brow as he pieced all the information together.

"It's as if I was never born," he mumbled to himself. He wondered then, how Kaiba was faring, and he felt even lonelier. At least if the other were here with him, they would have each other. It wasn't as if Jounouchi had taken for granted that they were alone together in all of the other worlds that they had been dropped in, it was just that being here, in this one, a universe so close to the one they belonged to, only served to underscore how much they truly needed to rely on each other.

"Yeah, I'll bet he's livin' in the lap of luxury right now." Somehow, though, those words didn't ring true; he knew how much Seto missed his younger brother, and it would be small consolation for the other to find a Mokuba who already, happily had an older brother. That thought made Jounouchi feel sad and contrite for the way in which they'd parted.

"I never should have said those things to you, Set. An' now it's too late, I can never take them back."

"Dear child it's never too late," a soft, familiar voice broke the otherwise silent church. He whirled, he would have known that voice anywhere; it was the same one that haunted his memories.

'I forgive you'

"Sister Sharon!" he cried out, once again feeling on the verge of tears.   
She looked exactly as he remembered, only a couple of years older. Of course she would be older because he had never made that fateful decision that had ended her life in a most violent, horrible way. He jumped up and embraced her in a bear hug, only relinquishing his grip when he realized from her body language that he'd overstepped the bounds of appropriate behavior.

She smoothed her habit before addressing him, looking him over appraisingly. "Do I know you, son?"

Jounouchi only grinned, he imagined, dementedly, still giddy at his discovery.

"Should I call the Father?" she asked warily.

"No-no, I'm sorry, Sister," he said as contritely as he could. "I just got carried away there." She nodded in assent, and began to walk away.

And then the need to confess did overtake Jounouchi. Not the kind of confession that could be absolved by repeating a predetermined number of Hail Marys and Our Fathers, but one in which events could only be rectified by coming face to face with the wounded party and apologizing for the depraved acts that he'd allowed to be committed.

"Sister?" he called out, "could I talk to you for a bit?" The words echoed in the empty space, and Jounouchi knew that she'd agree to listen to him even before she nodded her head. Sister Sharon always had time for a wayward kid.

She sat in the pew in front of him, and he stared off into space for a few moments to work up the courage to tell her his story. By the time he'd finished, the sun had long since set, tears were streaming down both their faces, and her hands were covering his.

"I forgive you, my son," she said softly, making the sign of the cross over her habit.

"Ya believe me?" Jounouchi asked, shocked.

"The Lord has brought you here to me, I cannot question His wisdom. Whether what you say is the truth as you know it to be or only the way in which you perceive it, it does not matter. You came to me to be healed, to unburden your load. It would be un-Christian of me not to offer you comfort."

Jounouchi smiled through his tears, feeling a weight lift off of his shoulders at her comment. Then the memory of his confession to Kaiba came to mind and he was angry that he'd ever told the other teen about this part of his life. But then he let that anger go too; even if they never regained an iota of the friendship that they had forged in the time that they'd traveled together, somehow, Jounouchi knew that the other teen would never use that information against him. "Ya forgave me then, too," he said softly, shuddering at the residual memory. But now, it seems that Honda is in deep with the gang, an' I think that I need ta do somethin' ta help him."

"I know of the Rintama gang. Some of those boys made their communions in this parish, were taught in Sunday School by me," she commented sadly. "The Lord will be their final Judge."

"But I want to save him, Sister. Stop him, before it's too late." Before someone gets hurt again, he thought.

"That's a noble cause, Katsuya. But I fear that you'll only find yourself in trouble. I'd have to counsel you against that. The police will take care of them soon enough."

"If ya believe that, Sistah, I have a bridge I'd like ta sell ya," Jounouchi said bitterly, remembering how deep into Hirutani's pocket the police were by the time the ruthless leader had been old enough to graduate from Middle School.

He got up then, intent on following through with the plan that he'd hatched before leaving the Kame Game Shop.

"Katsuya," Sister Sharon called out, "If you do manage to reach your friend, tell him that he will find safe refuge here."

\--*---*--

Gozaburo Kaiba stared at the security tape for the umpteenth time, his anger growing exponentially with each glimpse of the audacious teen that waltzed across the screen and handily made off with a large chunk of untraceable cash. The vein at his temple visibly pounded as he dialed the number of someone whom he was certain would be capable of remedying the situation.

"Get over here now," he barked into the cell, "I have a rat problem and I need an exterminator."

Two hours later the leader of the Rintama gang, Hirutani, ashen-faced and shaking, left the Kaiba Corp building through the same exit that Kaiba Seto had fled from approximately twenty-four hours prior, having placated the only man in the entire city who had no fear of him or the gang, who in fact employed Hirutani and his thugs in many of their endeavors, and collected a prime piece of their earnings.

It had been nearly impossible for Hirutani to convince the bastard that he'd never laid eyes the tall brunet caught on security-that that punk was not some double-crossing gang member-and the thug didn't like having to sweet-talk the prick with a gun to his temple, thank you very much. As he made his way back to the gang headquarters, the gang leader knew one thing, and one thing only. He was going to enjoy making that son of a bitch on the security tape beg for his life before he snuffed it out.

\--*---*--

It only took Jounouchi a couple of days to track Honda down and then ingratiate himself with the brunet teen. Given the chemistry in their relationship back home, in retrospect, it had been remarkably easy.

The blond had been surreptitiously watching the fin-haired brunet and the two henchmen that he surrounded himself with-Jounouchi recognized them as older versions of Taki and Nomo, two Neanderthal badasses that he'd known from his gang days-as they'd been making collections at some neighborhood merchants. This particular morning, it seemed that one of the storeowners had grown a set of balls and had hired a few thugs on his own, who'd been waiting for the gang members to show up.

It was apparent that the teens were overmatched, and soon they were fighting for their lives as police sirens wailed in the distance. Jounouchi made a split second decision to help Honda, and, leaving the other two to their fates, rabbit-punched Honda's assailant, enabling the brunet teen to break free. Both he and Jounouchi then took off on a headlong run, in the direction of Domino City's Mega Mall, and disappeared into the cavernous structure.

"You Honda Hiroto?" Jounouchi asked after they'd both managed to catch their breaths. They'd been recuperating in a narrow, little-used corridor.

"Who wants to know?" the hazel-eyed teen growled, and Jounouchi let the other push him against a wall.

"Hey! That's some way ta treat someone who saved ya ass!" he spat indignantly.

Honda backed off slightly, muttering, "That was rather convenient, how do I know that you aren't in league with those guys, or worse, the police?"

"Look," Jounouchi said quickly, the lines he'd rehearsed flowing off of his tongue. "I was told to look you up when I got to Domino. You're a legend, man!" He then went on to explain that he was a member of the Red Dragons in Kyoto, but had to leave quickly because things there got too hot for him. "I gotta cool my heels a bit here, so I was wonderin' if I could pick up some work. Gotta eat, y'know."

The brunet eyed the other warily, while Jounouchi, for his part flashed the other a winning smile. "You carrying?" Honda asked roughly, turning the blond around, patting him down.

"Shit, no! Are you a faggot, or somethin'? Quit feeling me up!" he groused good-naturedly.

"Yeah, right, I'm a flaming homo." the other teen gazed at the blond once he'd finished frisking him, satisfied that Jounouchi wasn't armed. "If I'm taking you to headquarters, I gotta make sure you're clean." Jounouchi was glad that he'd stowed the gun that Yugi had given him, but he knew also that the brunet had been looking for a wire as well as any weapons.

"Wait, just like that?" Jounouchi knew enough to be suspicious.

"I gotta explain what happened to those guys back there, and why we didn't collect our due. It'll be better if I have someone to back me up," he eyed the blond.

"No problemo, Bud, I'll back ya up." Jounouchi said, momentarily forgetting that this Honda didn't know him from Adam.

\--*---*--

Kaiba sat defeated in his seedy hotel room, drinking a glass of sake. There was no possible way he'd be able to find this world's version of himself or Mokuba. He'd been to the orphanage that they'd once been placed in and had asked around, but no one there had ever heard of either of the boys. He was at his wit's end. It had been a stupid pipe dream, he realized, and really, there'd been no good reason to look Mokuba up. The boy who lived in this world was not his brother, anyway.

It felt good to get a little tipsy, there'd been little opportunity for him to drink on their adventures, and despite his young age, Kaiba had learned to appreciate alcohol's ability to ameliorate the stresses of daily life. It was another thing that Jounouchi looked down upon him for though, the blond's experience with his alcoholic father had tainted his views about the drug. He rolled the spicy elixir over his tongue wondering what he should do with the rest of his sentence in this world. He thought again about Jounouchi, wondered what the blond was making of this altered reality, not that he really cared.

It would be best if he left Domino, he decided. He'd been lying low, trying to blend in as much as possible, but as time passed, he'd become more and more concerned that he would be recognized and picked up by someone for stealing the money from Gozaburo's safe. Not a word of the robbery had been breathed to the media, and Kaiba knew that didn't bode well for him. What that meant was that his adoptive father was planning on doing things his way; which was, in all probability, outside of the law.

He'd turned on the TV to distract him from his dark thoughts, and was aimlessly surfing, slowly sipping his drink, when a crazy thought occurred. He grabbed the phonebook, deciding to see if any of his relatives, the ones who in his world had spent his and his brother's inheritance and then summarily abandoned them to their fate at the orphanage, were listed. He shuffled through the pages, one hand still holding his glass, and eventually found the family name; it had not been that common, but he found several listings. He dropped his drink suddenly though, when he came across what was unmistakably his father's name listed; the address next to the entry was the one Seto remembered memorizing from his early childhood. He stared at the page for a good ten minutes, his brain considering the characters on the page, not caring at all that the alcoholic beverage was seeping into the carpet. It couldn't be, could it? Hell, it was as good of an explanation as any, Seto thought, taking the complimentary pen and pad supplied by the hotel and copying down the exact address, lest he'd remembered it wrong. The next day, he decided, he would hire a car and drive by the house to see if he could get a glimpse of his brother.

Kaiba didn't know why it was so important for him to see Mokuba, other than it being some kind of familial duty that bordered on the obsessive. He needed to make sure the other was all right, even though this Mokuba wasn't really his brother, and he also couldn't deny that seeing his parents, or rather, parents who in this world represented his, who'd become just dim memories-shadows on his mind-sent a thrill up his spine. He drained his drink and then got ready for bed, and when he stretched out on the bed, he allowed latent memories of his life before Mokuba to fade in and out of his mind until he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning was a perfect spring day, and Kaiba found that he was feeling a bit nervous about the adventure he'd decided to set out on. After breakfast, he took the shuttle bus from the hotel back to the airport terminal and took some money out of the combination locker that he'd rented for the week. He wondered what had possessed him to take more money than he could ever possibly need for the time he'd be in this world, acknowledging finally, that some of it had to do with revenge; Gozaburo's untimely death had done nothing to assuage Seto's thirst for retribution for the years of abuse he'd been submitted to at that bastard's hands. No, it would take several lifetimes to dull the rage that resided within him, always rippling under the surface of his consciousness.

The neighborhood that he'd spent his early childhood in was a non-descript middle class one with typically modest Japanese-styled homes, he had the livery drop him off at the bottom of the hill, the beginning of the street that his parents' house was on. The driver took his fare and sped off, not acknowledging the generous tip that he'd given the man.

The house that Seto had grown up in was surrounded by cedars, and he recalled that in the back yard there had been a beautiful garden and koi pond that his mother used sit by with him, handing him chunks of white bread to feed to the fish. The neighborhood was quiet; but he was certain that people inside the houses were getting ready for work and school-the smell of breakfasts cooking, wafting from open windows, permeated the air. He walked about, his mind flooded with memories that he'd long forgotten. He was walking up the very same hill that he'd biked down once, only to lose control and spin out at the bottom. He'd laid on the ground stunned and in pain, until his mother had arrived, and gently carried him inside, admonishing him for his foolish behavior, while tears streaked her cheeks, belying how scared she'd been that he'd been seriously injured.

He passed by the house of old Morimoto-san, a wizened World War II vet who'd terrified him as a young boy, telling him stories of the his days as a Kamikaze pilot (evidently not a successful one, Seto realized with a wry grin), and what it had been like to visit Hiroshima right after the A-bomb had been dropped, burying the masses of dead and helping a population of stunned survivors, many already past the point of salvation. He walked past the row of stores that his mother used shop at, places he hadn't thought about for years, remembering how the old woman behind the cash register at the grocery store always had a lollipop for him. The memories filled him with a warm glow; it felt good to remember that part of his past alive. He wondered how different the iteration of himself in this world was, having the benefit of growing up in a loving family instead of being cast to the wolves. He hadn't always been the heartless prick Jounouchi thought he was.

His meanderings brought him back to the sidewalk near his house, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the door open. He ducked behind a tall row of mature rhododendron bushes, and peered at the house entrance from between the waxy green leaves. He saw his father come out, a briefcase in one hand, turn to kiss someone, most likely his mother, though whomever was there was obscured by the opened outer door. Kaiba watched with a vague longing as his father-who the teen could clearly see that he took after-climbed into his late-model Acura, carefully maneuvered it out of the driveway, and then disappeared down the road.

He realized then, what a bad idea this had been. He didn't need to see his family complete, it only served to remind him of how destitute of love his life had been since the time that he'd been orphaned. Sure he had Mokuba's undying affection, but he'd never been loved unconditionally since his father had bestowed that last kiss on his cheek, that is until Jounouchi, and now he was beginning to doubt if the blond had ever really loved him. Their relationship, he decided, had been borne out of necessity and mutual loneliness. It never would have blossomed otherwise, and if they ever did find their way home, he was certain now more than ever that it would be over anyway. As if he could stand to be around that bunch of cheerleaders that Jounouchi called friends in any way, shape, or form. And hell, the blond's best friend was responsible for the predicament that he and Jounouchi were in, and yet the other teen was able to forgive Yugi, all the while holding ~him~ to some higher, arbitrary standard.

Kaiba turned to leave, intent on getting the hell away from this place of painful memories. For the first time he wished that he could just die, and not be brought back to life in the next purgatory that they would be dropped into. He was weary, bone-tired of it all. For now, he'd just save Gozaburo the trouble and take care of the job himself. But then he heard his brother's voice.

"Bye, Mom!" the young teen called out, running down the steps, a flurry of motion.

"Mokuba," a woman's voice called out, "don't forget you have practice tonight!"

"'Kay, Mom!" was the put-upon response. Seto recognized the adolescent whine in the other's voice.

He looked then, and saw his mother standing in the open doorway. He'd never realized how much Mokuba took after her, but he saw it now, and the force of the realization brought him to his knees. He doubled over, unable to breathe, his chest tight with emotion.

"You okay?" He looked up into his brother's grey eyes, shocked that Mokuba didn't recognize him. "You look like you could use some help." As he regarded the young teen, a realization came to him, shaking him to the core.

He nodded, straightening up slowly. His mother was alive, she'd died giving birth to Mokuba because of the complications she'd experienced during her pregnancy with Seto. It clicked then. She was alive, because here, in this world, he didn't exist. "Don't you have a bus to catch?" he asked, trying to even out his voice.

"Yeah, but I'm early." Curious grey eyes bored into his. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

He shook his head, "No, I've never been in this neighborhood before. I think I'm a little lost. I need to get back downtown."

"I'm headed down to the main road to get the bus, follow me, and I can get you back into town!" Apparently this Mokuba lived a rather sheltered life, because he didn't fear the brunet at all, but rather, he rambled on amiably to Seto about school and his favorite video games as he toted his books along. If Seto closed his eyes, he knew that he could transport himself back to their breakfast table at the Kaiba Mansion. He made a promise then-if he ever did make it back, he would put his newspaper down and listen to Mokuba when he nattered on and on about his day-he hadn't realized how much he missed all that chatter. Then again, Jounouchi had managed to fill that gap in quite adequately. He thought about the blond again, trying to shake off the loneliness that welled up, threatening to consume him.

The sound of tires screeching through the peaceful neighborhood didn't register with the tall brunet, as he'd been lulled into complacency by the younger boy's voice. It wasn't until he saw the van pull along side of them and a rough voice called out "Get 'em both!" that Seto realized that they were in trouble.

"Run!" he shouted at the boy, who turned, and for a moment Kaiba saw the fear etched on his face, before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and his world went black.

\--*---*--

Hirutani gave the blond that Honda had brought in with him a good hard look. The kid couldn't have dropped into his lap at a more opportune time, and if this Jounouchi character was as badass as Honda had indicated, then he'd have no problem taking care of the punk that had robbed Kaiba Gozaburo, and the kid that he'd been picked up with. Too bad about the boy, he thought, but he couldn't have any witnesses. As far as the gang leader was concerned, that he was in a win-win situation, having the other blond do his dirty work would keep his hands clean of the murders, and then, once Jounouchi had lived past his usefulness, he'd be disposed of as well. He left the other teen to cool his heels with Honda while he discussed the situation with his trusted confidants.

Jounouchi's street sense told him that something wasn't sitting right. The fact that Honda had been boxed out of the meeting didn't bode well, and he could see that the brunet was none-to-pleased either. Then he realized something funny; in his world he could always tell when Honda was pissed about something-he had a habit of chewing the inside of his cheek-and at the moment, Jounouchi could see this Honda's jaw working furiously.

"Something wrong?" he asked casually.

Honda's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think that?

Jounouchi shrugged nonchalantly. "I just thought you bein' a lieutenant an'all-"

"Your thinking is what's gonna get you in trouble," Honda grit out flatly. "Don't worry about my ass, worry about your own," he scowled.

Now Jounouchi was sure something was up, and having nothing to lose, he asked softly, "What's he got on you?"

"The fuck did you say?" Honda's voice was dead quiet.

"I know how these things work," Jounouchi said mildly. "He don't trust you, yet you hold a high rank, that tells me he's holding something over your head."

"Drop it now."

"Okay, Bud-"

"And I'm not your fucking buddy, got it?" the brunet's hands clenched into fists.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Jounouchi put his palms up. "I meant it, though," he said meaningfully, "I've got your back. But right now, I've gotta take a leak." He remembered that the bathroom in the warehouse had a narrow window that he'd once been able to get in and out of, and he hoped that in this world, that would still be the case.

"Fine! Follow me, asshole." Honda spat. Because of his story, Jounouchi had been afforded minimal respect, Hirutani was canny, he wasn't going to piss off anyone in the Red Dragons and have an all-out gang war on his hands, and so Honda led him to the bathroom, and Jounouchi slipped inside the tiny room and locked the door behind him. He knew the clock was ticking now, and he hoped that the other was distracted enough that he wouldn't be thinking about the fact that Jounouchi could escape through the narrow window. He slipped out easily, and raced the three blocks to the alley where he'd stowed the gun, in anticipation that he'd be able to retrieve it at some point. He tucked it in his waistband at the small of his back, knowing that the loose tee-shirt and jacket would cover any telltale bulge, and since he'd been frisked again before he'd been allowed into headquarters, Jounouchi was reasonably sure that he was safe from further scrutiny. He'd just gotten his head back inside the window when he heard Honda banging on the door.

"What the fuck? Didja fall in?"

"No! I think I ate somethin' that didn't agree with me!" he replied as he wriggled back inside. He flushed the toilet to mask the sound of the window closing, and then gulped some water from the sink and washed his face, trying to cover up his windedness. He'd just unlocked the door when the other turned the knob and opened it. For a moment Jounouchi thought that he may have been caught, but when Honda made no mention of his lengthy stay beyond remarking about the noxious smell, Jounouchi relaxed further. Now he was prepared for anything.

Again they waited, this time in silence, Jounouchi watching Honda from the corner of his eye, more and more convinced that the other was in the gang against his will. His train of thought was broken though, when Hirutani and his henchmen came out of the office that they'd been holed up in.

The blond gang-leader's shark-toothed grin did nothing to alleviate any of Jounouchi's concerns.

"So you need some work, I hear."

Jounouchi nodded.

"I have a little vermin problem. I need a couple of rats disposed of, interested?" Jounouchi nodded again, slowly. "Ok, you, Honda, come with me," he motioned. "You," he turned to the other two boys, "stand lookout and get the van ready for transport."

Jounouchi followed the other blond, every fiber in his body alert. He knew the coded language, and wondered who the poor suckers could be who'd been assigned the death sentence. As they came into the large area of the warehouse, his breath caught. There, dangling limply from a chain binding his wrists was Seto. It looked like he'd taken quite a beating, one eye was an angry red and was swollen shut. But even more alarming was the other victim-Mokuba. For a second, Jounouchi tried to convince himself that this was not the Seto that he knew, but then one arctic eye fixed on him, and he could read all the hatred in the world in that glance. For a moment he felt as guilty of everything that Kaiba's glance had accused.

"Looks like someone got a jump on me," he smiled, cracking his knuckles. It clicked in his mind then, all of their lives were at stake. Hirutani wouldn't entrust him with this job unless he was sure there would be no backlash, and that meant no witnesses whatsoever. It seemed that Honda had outlived his usefulness as well.

He was transported in time and space back to his decision to save Honda over Sister Sharon, and he shook his head slowly. No, this time it was not the same. He knew that it didn't matter if he or Seto died; they would be reborn in just a matter of days. But Honda and Mokuba, they were an entirely different story, and Jounouchi decided then and there that he would not allow either of them to die as long as it was in his power to prevent it. And he had all the power in the world snuggled securely against the small of his back.

The audible click of another firearm got his attention. "Get to it," the other blond ordered, pointing the muzzle in Jounouchi's direction, and throwing a length of rope at the blond.

His stomach turned at the thought of what he was expected to do. Jounouchi shook his head, avoiding Mokuba's tearful gaze. "I don't do kids."

The shark teeth grinned at him. "You do now."

"The fuck I do," he grumbled. "I'll take care of this one first." He stalked over to the winch that held Kaiba fast, and let loose the chain, causing the brunet to fall to his knees.

"I like that position," the gang-leader murmured. "Before you strangle him, let's have a little fun. I want to see him suck you off."

"Fuck you! I ain't letting him bite my dick off!" Jounouchi exclaimed. He tied the rope in a noose, and slipped it over Kaiba's head securing it against his neck. The brunet spit at him, and, knowing if he didn't retaliate, it would be seen as a sign of weakness, Jounouchi backhanded Kaiba, hard.

Hirutani snorted. "At this point, blondie, you have very little leverage."

Jounouchi scowled at Hirutani, and then looked down at the brunet who tottered, barely conscious. He tipped the other's head up, and slapped him again. When the one good eye opened, he mouthed 'trust me,' before undoing his fly and forcing Kaiba's face against his flaccid penis. "Suck me," he ordered, his hands fisting those chestnut locks. He made sure that Hirutani got an eyeful, and he prayed that Seto was his usual talented self, because he was going to need the distraction if he had any hope of pulling off his plan.

He needn't have worried, Kaiba must have realized the dire situation that they were in, and he was working Jounouchi's shaft like he meant it. At some point Mokuba mewled in horror behind the ductape that covered his mouth, and Jounouchi cried out "Gods he's so fucking good!" masking the younger male's alarm. He knew Hirutani would think nothing of putting a bullet in the kid's brain; Jounouchi would take the fall just the same.

"I didn't take you for a faggot," Hirutani smirked.

"Shit, this mouth could turn anyone gay," Jounouchi turned his gaze at Hirutani, and despite the predicament, he felt a climax coming on. He'd missed Kaiba, not just physically, though. He missed the verbal sparring, the camaraderie too. He knew he had to turn up the heat, to distract the gang leader some more before he made his move. He began to fuck Kaiba's mouth, feeling the brunet gag against him, but he was more intent on the soft groan he heard from the other blond. Out of the corner of his eye Jounouchi saw Hirutani begin to rub the bulge in his pants with the gun. Jounouchi bided his time, beginning to thrust in time to those strokes, and as they sped up, he saw the other blond's eyes roll back in his head, and immediately his hand was on the gun and he leveled it at the other's head. Before Honda could breath a word of warning, Jounouchi squeezed the trigger. Despite the state he was in, he managed to hit the other dead between the eyes, and he said a small prayer to his uncle's memory for all the sharp shooting lessons he'd gotten as a kid. He smiled with satisfaction at his handiwork. The bastard deserved it, and he refused to feel guilty, drawing upon the images of what they'd done to Sister Sharon when he was a kid.

He pushed Kaiba away from him, and trained the gun on Honda while buttoning up his pants, trying to hide his arousal. "There are two ways this can work," Jounouchi said more evenly than he felt, his voice dead quiet. "Before you make your decision, let me say that I know you aren't here because you want ta be, and I know a place that you'll be safe."

"Is that so?" Honda asked calmly, though Jounouchi could tell that he was anything but.

"Yes. Go to Our Lady of the Martyrs. Tell Sister Sharon that Katsuya sent you. I don't want to kill you but I will, if you stand in my way," he added.

"And why should I believe you're going to help me?"

"I'll give you two reasons. You remind me of someone that I once knew, and I need you to get by all the other bastards."

"Right, how's that going to work? If we leave together, they'll know that shot was for him," Honda motioned to the inert form of the dying gang leader.

"You're gonna pick up that gun and we're all walking out together."

"We don't need him." Kaiba whispered hoarsely, "I can handle it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm calling the shots right now. You're gonna take care of ya brother." Jounouchi walked over to Hirutani, and stooped to rifle through his pockets. He came across his cell phone and the keys to the padlocks that secured the chains that bound Kaiba's wrists. He quickly undid them, keeping one eye on the other brunet, who'd made no move in either direction.

He focused his attention on Mokuba, still talking to Honda. "Listen, you haven't made a move against me, so I'm gonna assume you're on our side, and ya know that's the conclusion that the rest of the gang is gonna come to." He motioned to the door that they'd come in through. "I'm offering you a choice, an opportunity to set ya life straight," he said as he released the terrified boy. "We're gonna get you home, don't you worry about a thing," he assured the young teen.

Kaiba picked up Hirutani's cell phone and gun. He turned to Jounouchi. "Grab Mokuba and let's get going." Jounouchi was surprised at how cool and collected the brunet was after everything that they'd just been through.

He was set to argue, but Honda beat him to it. "Look, I know a back way out."

"And we should trust you, why?"

"Because Jounouchi's right." Honda locked gazes with the blond. "I got in over my head in gambling debt. He was going to kill my parents if I left." He locked the door that they'd come through. "We don't have much time, before someone comes snooping around," he said, pointing to a large duct that hung from the ceiling. "That will get us to the roof, and we can roof-hop to the end of the block."

\--*---*--

Jounouchi stared out of the train window at the passing scenery. They were on their way to Tokyo, to spend the rest of their time in this world on holiday. He laughed to himself at the absurdity of going on vacation, with Kaiba, no less. His hand reached out for the brunet's and he twined their fingers together. Seto shifted in his seat, resting his head on Jounouchi's shoulder.

They'd made their escape without incident. Honda had been true to his word, and they had managed to calm Mokuba down on the way back to his parents' house, though Kaiba didn't tell the young teen the truth as to why he'd been in the boy's neighborhood in the first place. Amazingly, Mokuba returned on time, and though shaken up, he was okay, a testament to his resilience.

Honda had left them along the way, slipping into the sanctuary at Our Lady of the Martyrs, but before he'd taken off, Kaiba had handed him Hirutani's cell, explaining that he was sure that there was probably enough evidence on it to implicate Gozaburo Kaiba in numerous illegal activities. Honda's eyes had brightened then, and he told them both that he had been keeping records too. They'd left the other brunet secure in the knowledge that the head of Kaiba Corp was in for some serious legal trouble.

Once the two teens were alone, the brunet had hauled off on Jounouchi, punching him squarely in the jaw. He supposed he'd deserved that after everything that had happened, he thought, rubbing the bruise on his jaw. Jounouchi had made to leave then, certain that Kaiba never wanted to see him again, but then the other teen had grabbed him, and crushed their lips together.

"I'm sorry, Set," he'd murmured, a blanket apology that extended from his cruel words when they'd landed in Domino to the actions he'd taken at the Rintama gang's warehouse.

"I accept your apology for not trusting me, but not for what you did back there. You told me to trust you, Jounouchi, and I did. I hope you trust me the next time our roles are reversed," Kaiba had chided.

Of course, the taller teen had been right. They only had each other, and if they were to survive, they needed to continue to work together, to believe completely that each had the other's best interests at heart, otherwise the sentence they shared would be all the more unbearable.

After they'd left Mokuba, Kaiba had insisted that they head toward the airport, but he wouldn't tell Jounouchi why. He rolled his eyes, and chuckled. The brunet had wasted no time testing the blond's resolve. His eyes had nearly popped out of his head though when he saw the stacks of cash that Kaiba had squirreled away.

"Where the fuck did you get all that?" Jounouchi blurted out in his astonishment.

"I paid my adoptive father a visit." Kaiba replied, and would say no more. Slowly Jounouchi pieced together part of the picture on his own, as he watched Kaiba peel off about one hundred bills and pocket them.

"There's more than we could possibly spend," the brunet remarked blandly, "And Mokuba already has everything he could possibly need," he added, his expression turning wistful. "Have any ideas?"

He did, indeed. Jounouchi told Kaiba about Shizuka, and they both agreed, that even though she wasn't the blond's sister, restoring her sight would be the right thing to do. They went to the DHL counter and bought packing materials, carefully wrapping the bills and addressing the airbill to the girl.

"Wait! Jounouchi said, before Kaiba sealed the box, do you have any change?" The brunet emptied his pockets and Jounouchi grabbed the coins, racing over to a passport photo machine. He took a set of pictures and waited impatiently for them to come out of the developing slot, and then dropped them into the box. He scrawled a note to the girl, his heart light, that despite not being able to see Shizuka again, she would always have a picture to remember him by. Kaiba watched his actions unquestioningly.

The next box they set up was addressed to Sister Sharon. Kaiba had suggested the donation, and together they'd written a note explaining that they hoped that the money would go towards a program for at-risk youths, but if that was not feasible, then whatever else the good Sister thought was a worthy cause.

Jounouchi bit his lip as he looked over the rest of the cash. "Are ya sure that you don't want ta give it to Mokie? Y'know, maybe as a college fund? I know ya think he has everything, but I know somethin' he doesn't. He doesn't have his older brother, and no matter what you say, Kaib', that's a big hole in his life."

"No, Jounouchi, he has something better than me. He has both of our parents," Kaiba replied, his voice barely audible. The blond laid his hand on the other's shoulders, and felt the brunet's body trembling beneath his fingers.

Kaiba looked at the blond evenly. "Send it to Motou," he said. "It's not much, but it will probably replace all the protection money he and his grandfather paid out over the years."

"But you hate-"

"I don't," Kaiba sighed. "I don't have the energy for it anymore."

 

The train rumbled into the station and he gently shook the brunet awake. "We're here, Seto." Kaiba grunted and got to his feet stiffly, pulling Jounouchi to his as well.

"Let's go find a place to stay."

Jounouchi thought that they should lie low, but Kaiba had other plans. He was tired of hiding, tired of all the crappy uncomfortable accommodations they'd had over the weeks and months that they'd been traveling. He wanted to be pampered, if only for a few days, so he had the cab he hired take them to the Park Hyatt, and he booked them into the most expensive room that they had available, paying for their stay up front with his cash.

With the room key card in hand, he ushered Jounouchi into an elevator. They stood together in silence as the floors whisked by.

"What do you want to do?" Jounouchi asked, when Kaiba unlocked the door to their suite.

"Shower, then bed," he mumbled, but the blond was already distracted, mesmerized by the city lights afforded by the panoramic view from the floor to ceiling windows that comprised an entire wall. Kaiba left the blond there, showered and then crawled into bed, too tired to bother with such trivialities as dinner.

He woke up hungry and alone, and it took him a few moments to remember where he was. He padded out of the bedroom to find Jounouchi asleep on the couch, the remnants of a meal on the low table in front of him. Kaiba grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the dining table and ate it, contemplating Jounouchi under the ambient light of the city. He felt a growing need inside of him.

He kicked the blond's foot. "Come to bed."

Jounouchi startled awake, and gazed up at him. "I didn't-"

"You didn't what?"

"I thought that you were through with me."

Kaiba smirked, despite the pain from his split lip that it caused. "I changed my mind. Besides, you haven't been impressed with me so far, I guess I have something to prove."

"What I said before, I didn't mean," Jounouchi murmured.

Kaiba leaned over him, his lips just brushing the other teen's. "I'm planning to make sure you never even think those things again," his breath blew hot across Jounouchi's cheek, and the blond shivered. "Come to bed," he reiterated. He was naked, and he was sure the blond would see his arousal, and he wasn't about to hide his need.

Jounouchi's hand reached out and touched the pulsing organ. "You sure?"

"Yes," the brunet hissed, rubbing his length against the blond's calloused palm. The blond looked at the carnal expression on the brunet's face. In the dim light the discoloration from the beating was a mere shadow, and the swelling had receded almost to the point where it was indistinguishable.

"You took quite a beating yesterday."

"I've had worse," Kaiba answered. "Are you going to let me fuck you or not?" he asked crassly. They were beyond niceties at this point.

Jounouchi's lips curved into a grin. "Knock yourself out."

Kaiba grabbed the blond and yanked him to his feet. "You're overdressed," he grumbled, yanking the hem of the blond's shirt and roughly pulling it over his head. Jounouchi thumbed the button on his jeans, while Kaiba's hand eagerly pulled down the fly and then pushed the denim and under shorts off of the blond's slender hips. Jounouchi stepped out of them and the teens came together in an open-mouthed kiss, their teeth gnashing as tongues hungrily devoured each other's taste, their bodies pressed against one another, hands greedily exploring each other. Kaiba walked backwards, pulling the blond to the bedroom, and then spun them around to push Jounouchi roughly onto his back on the bed. The blond flipped over, offering the brunet a view of his ass as he got on all fours.

"Like this," he rasped.

Kaiba groaned as he reached for the complimentary lotion. He slicked his fingers, and teased the blond's hole before pushing one digit in to the last knuckle.

Jounouchi moaned and wriggled his ass around the intrusion while Kaiba kissed each perfectly shaped cheek. He added a second digit and scissored them. "Fuck!" the blond barked out harshly. "I need you now!"

The brunet grinned, and, determined to make Jounouchi pay for his disparaging remarks about his lovemaking prowess, he slowly grinded his pelvis against the blond's ass, pulling his fingers out to tease the other teen's entrance until Jounouchi cried out in frustration.

By the time he'd buried himself balls-deep into Jounouchi's tight passage, Kaiba was already feeling the first stirrings of his impending climax. He white-knuckled Jounouchi's hips, driving into him in powerful thrusts, his base need satisfied by the other teen's grunts and matching thrusts that echoed the rhythm of his pace. As he came, his seed pulsing deep inside Jounouchi's channel, he reached around to fist the blond's throbbing member.

Again Jounouchi cried out, "Fuck!" as his hot seed coated the brunet's hand and the bedding beneath them. Both teens collapsed to the mattress and succumbed to a dreamless sleep.

They spent the rest of their days and nights in the king-sized bed; fucking, eating meals from room service and playing video games on the widescreen HD TV, and as they neared the time that they were set to shift, talking about the experiences they'd been through in this world and many of the others that they had been dropped into. Neither could say anymore if what was between them was true love or just a matter of convenience, but what they both knew was that they shared a bond that would always tie them together, for better or for worse. Until they finally returned home, they only ever had each other.

As the sun broke from overcast skies and shone onto the sleeping blond, the teen awakened slowly, stretched out his limbs and opened his eyes. Sighing in resignation as he looked around, Jounouchi knew that they had once again shifted, and that they weren't yet home.

\--*---*--

A/N: With apologies to Frank Capra, to whom homage must be paid for his holiday classic, "It's a Wonderful Life."


End file.
